[gothic-l] Re: Germanic Migrations

[Philip Rusche]

> every discipline must have an object of research. Historians study
> written documents. No documents - no history, nothing much to do for a
>  historian. Can, in your view, a historian research the history of the
> Neandertals? Let me answer that for you: No, he/she can't, not because
> it is so far back in time, but because there are no written documents.
>  The same applies to any period which is 'pre-history'.

This seems to me a fairly narrow definition of "historian."  Historians
study many things besides written documents, e.g. coins, grave goods, art,
etc.  I especially think excluding archaeology from the field of history
would find little favor with historians, whether the period is modern,
medieval, or before written documents are preserved.  It doesn't mean there
aren't historians who study only written documents, but confining the term
to them seems overly limiting.

Philip Rusche
(who isn't a historian either)



> I have indeed never heard of the 'big-history' concept. Do feel free
> to enligthen us. Especially, historians may be interested to hear
> about that.
>
> As for my background, I am an academic with doctorate, so I am
> familiar with scientific method, the discipline is not relevant for
> our dicussion. You have not given your  background either, i.e.
> university degree and discipline. Just 'writer' can mean anything.
> Also, in the past you have tended to attack the competency of
> scientists, (like calling Dahl's books of limited value etc.)instead
> of their evidence, so I don't want to open myself to this line of
> fire.
>
> Dirk
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In gothic-l at egroups.com, bertil <mvk575b at t...> wrote:
> > Dirk,
> >
> > No, history deals with periods way
> > behind the time when written records
> > exist.
> >
> > The latest in this field is the so called
> > "big history". It seems as if you are
> > not quite abreast with the developments
> > in this field which of course brings
> > me back, even more curious, about your
> > background. Let me at a future time return
> > to the concept of "big history".
> >
> > Germanically
> >
> > Bertil
> >
> > > any student of history learns in his/her first lecture at
> University
> > > that  the field of study of an historian is the historic era of
> > > humankind. And that the historic era starts whenever first
> contemprary
> > > written sources appear for that particular culture. Historian need
> > > historical sources to study, if there are no historical sources to
> > > study, they have to rely on evidence and interpretations supplied
> by
> > > archaelogists, linguists and other disciplines. A historian would
>
> > > never try to write the history of pre-historic people. Perhaps we
> have
> > > one or two historians on the list who could quickly confirm that.
>
>
>
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